Android and Me » astrid

Top 10 Android app updates for the week ending February 24

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:02:52 +0000

When I got my first Android phone a little over three years ago, one of my favorite things was to browse the Android Market and watch which apps were being pushed to the Android Market. Developers soon began to exploit the Just In section of the Android Market with fake updates to get their app to the top of the list, so Google eventually removed that feature.

Now when I want to see what’s new in the Android Market, I turn to AppAware. I’ve covered the app before and it’s been around for a couple years, but they just relaunched a couple months ago with a completely overhauled version that turned the service into a social network for app discovery.

AppAware Find the Best Apps 42matters AG - AppAware PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

I’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, and not focus on which apps have the most installs. This shows me which apps have active support from their developers and sometimes reminds me of an old app that I might have removed long ago.

The following is a Top 10 list of apps which were updated in the last seven days and received the most updates during that time period on AppAware. I hope you enjoy this weekly feature and discover some apps that you might find useful.

Twitter – Version 3.1.0

Twitter Twitter, Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Swipe shortcut
Improved scrolling and network performance
Improved support for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich
Confirmation dialog for Find Friends
Security improvements
New languages: Filipino, Simplified Chinese
Many other bug fixes, improvements, and polish

This week Twitter rolled out a minor update focused on performance enhancements. Some power users prefer more control over their Twitter experience and go with apps like Tweakdeck, but if you just want pure Twitter then the official app is the way to go. The improved scrolling makes this version a must update.

Evernote – Version 3.5.3

Evernote Evernote Corp. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Note: calendar access is used to add context in empty titles.
fixes note processing issue when saving notes
fixes a crash when installing the update
improves setting interface
several other fixes and improvements

There are a lot of note taking apps out there, but Evernote is the most popular by far. I prefer Google Docs for keeping notes, but I see the appeal of Evernote. It currently has 10 million installs and maintains an average rating of 4.6.

Google Docs – Version 1.0.54

Google Drive Google Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Create, view and edit Google documents with our new Android editor
Rich text formatting (bold, italics, underline, font color, background color)
Layout tools (bulleted lists, numbered lists, indentation)
Real-time collaboration – see edits from others in seconds
Cursor presence and highlighting

We already covered the big Google Docs update this week that added real-time collaboration, so I won’t rehash that again. If you use Google Docs, this is a must update.

Paper Camera – Version 2.0g

Paper Camera JFDP Labs PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Supporting video on more devices
Supporting hardware zoom buttons
Paper camera now supports video recording on many high end devices.
All Android 4.X devices are officially supported.
Selected Android 2.3 devices are also supported.
Most other 2.3 devices have unofficial support. Please see the FAQ in the App description to learn how to enable it.
Android Beam support. Requires the NFC permission.
Media is now saved in a separate folder.

Finally we have a paid app make our Top 10 list. Paper Camera retails for $1.99, but it’s well worth the price if you love taking photos with your phone. This app allows real time cartoon and painting effects displayed on your camera feed and adds many other effects to your photos.

Wiki Encyclopedia – Version 2.19

Wiki Encyclopedia & News Wiki apps PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

**NEW PERMISSIONS*** New permissions are requested in the latest update in order to enable new features:
“Save Article to SD feature” (requires a new permission to Mount/Unmount file systems and Write External Storage)
Ability to upgrade to Pro for free (permission “Read phone state” to anonymously identify device)
GPS Permissions are for “wiki maps” which we are working on.
Autocomplete/Suggest on search
Widget

I’ve never used this app, but it has over 5 million installs with an average rating of 4.4. Wiki Encyclopedia offers fast access to Wikipedia for your Android phone and also supports dozens of newspaper feeds. The latest update adds a widget and the ability to upgrade to the Pro version for free.

Viber – Version 2.1.4.588

Viber : Free Calls & Messages Viber Media, Inc PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Bug Fixes
All new Voice engine!
Viber is now location-aware! Share your current location with your contacts so that they will know from where your message was sent.
Send and receive Photos.
New “is typing” indicator will notify you when he or she is typing a new message.
Landscape support for Messages.

Another app I have never used. Viber allows you to call and text other Viber users, on any network, as much as you want. The app is available on Andorid and iPhone, which explains why they have over 40 million users. The latest update has a new voice engine that promises “HD sound quality.”

GO SMS Pro – Version 4.34

GO SMS Pro GO Dev Team PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Restructure application center
Feature to add conversation as desktop shortcut for quick access (Long press certain conversation)
Copy/paste support in MMS
Optimize the ring and vibration
Optimize the Groups in Contacts
Optimize screen shot
Optimize stranger’s avatar
Fix bugs of Pattern Lock may frozen after trying wrong input for 5 times
Fix some other minor bugs

Now that I’m on Android 4.0, I use the default Messenger app, but I’ve used GO SMS Pro a lot in the past. It is one of the most full featured SMS apps and it’s great for Android phones that have crappy custom UIs that replace the default message app. The latest update is mostly bug fixes and optimizations, but give it a try if you are tired of your boring old SMS app.

Movies by Flixster – Version varies with device

Movies by Flixster Flixster Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

New “My Movies” tab to see your movie reviews, collections, and friends’ movies
Merged Box Office and Upcoming into a single tab
Fixed Facebook logout crash on ICS
Numerous other bug fixes and improvements

Flixster is one of the most popular movies apps, but I still prefer IMDB. The latest version includes a new “My Movies” feature that might be worth checking out if you like to log all the movies you watch.

Dropbox – Version varies with device

Dropbox Dropbox, Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Allows you to automatically uploads photos and videos in the background using Wi-Fi or data plan
Up to 3 GB of free space for uploading photos automatically (in 500 MB increments)
Upload files of any size
Various performance improvements & bug fixes
Heads up, Dropbox can no longer be installed on your SD Card due to more secure credential storage

Once again, Dropbox is an app that I do not currently use. Their latest app adds support for automatic uploads of your photos, a feature that’s been available on Google+ for awhile now. They are also offering up to 3 GB of free cloud storage, but then again Box is offering 50 GB for free.

Astrid – Version varies with device

Astrid Task/To-do List Astrid Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

What’s new in this version:

Entirely new design and themes
Subtasks!
Ability to outsource tasks with TaskRabbit
More reliable sync with Google Tasks
Tablet version!
Fixes for a few bugs experienced in 4.0.0 launch
New permission GPS Only used when you specify location for tasks through TaskRabbit

Astrid has been available on Android for a long time (Clark reviewed it back in 2009) and they continue to release new updates that add a ton of features. If you are looking for a personal assistant to help you manage your tasks and to-do lists, then give Astrid a try. The latest version 4.0 adds a completely new look and adds support for tablets. It also supports sync with Google Tasks, which is a popular feature among to-do apps.

Honorable mentions

Did you see any Android apps that received notable updates in the last week? Share your suggestions in the comments below and we will add them to our honorable mentions list.

Astrid Challenge survey winners

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:39:33 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Astrid challenge and completed the user survey. Close to 700 users responded with a ton of useful feedback that the developers will use to improve the application. We hope you discovered a new favorite application and will continue to support Astrid.

Contest Winners

There were so many great entries that it was hard to select the winners. Four runner up winners were picked for their responses to the questions and one grand prize winner was randomly selected from all eligible entries. The following were some of our favorite answers.

How did Astrid make your life better this week?

Organization of my time skills was a major problem for me. I used to get off track and do other things, and before I knew it, I had no time left. I was a major procrastinator. Lists were garbage, because I would lose them, and now that I have one that I can take with me everywhere that reminds me when I need to do something, and how long I have to do it, life is much easier. This app alone may have saved my marriage, lol. – Submitted by Erosevaporator

I have it remind me every 4 days to be a good boyfriend. I bought her flowers just because of the notification :) – Submitted by Reece Wagner

I had just installed Astrid and input a few tasks for a few days from then. I forgot all about it, then a few days later I see Astrid’s notification telling me to start on my AP European History summer work. I started to look for my text book and was horrified when it was nowhere to be found. After about and hour and a half of searching I ordered another copy. Thankfully it will arrive just in time for me to complete my work. If I hadn’t been reminded to start my work I wouldn’t have finished it in time for the beginning of school and failed out of my class; Astrid kept my in my AP Euro class! – Submitted by Brendantk

What is one feature you would like to see added to Astrid?

I’d love to see astrid have emotions if your near the goal or failed to meet the task/goal. – Submitted by Macfan88

Grand Prize winner of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G: Remaldar

For the latest information on Astrid bookmark their new website and follow their Twitter feed, @weloveastrid.

Answer the Astrid Challenge – Take the survey

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:35:18 +0000

Two weeks ago we challenged you to try out Astrid, one of our favorite Android applications. Now that you have had time to get familiar with the app, we are asking you to fill out a short survey. The 25 questions will help the Astrid development team better identify where to focus their efforts. In exchange for your feedback, we will be handing out several prizes including a free T-Mobile myTouch 3G.

Contest Details

To participate in the contest, just complete the survey. We will allow one full week before announcing the winners. If you still have not tried Astrid, download it from the Android Market today.

1 Grand Prize winner – Selected from all eligible survey responses
3 Runner up winners – Best and most interesting story of how Astrid made your life better
1 Runner up winner – Best new feature suggestion
July 20th, 2009 – Winners announced

Prizes

The grand prize for the survey is a free T-Mobile myTouch 3G. All current T-Mobile customers are eligible to win the grand prize. The winner should receive their phone by August 3rd, before everyone else.

Grand prize: T-Mobile myTouch 3G ($199 value)
Runners up: 4x $25 Amazon.com gift cards

Take the Survey

Click below to launch the survey.

The survey is now live. Help us improve Astrid.

Android users: Take the Astrid challenge and win a free myTouch 3G

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:10:20 +0000

We all know time is a valuable thing we do not want to waste. Keeping a task list can help you prioritize the way you spend your time, but it can be difficult to maintain. The evolution of Android and other smartphone platforms has changed the way we organize data. Now that we have live access to all our data on the go, it is easier to be informed and make smarter decisions.

Astrid is an Android application that helps you get things done. By creating a series of small tasks, you can work toward accomplishing a larger goal. Astrid helps along the way by prioritizing your tasks, providing persuasive reminders, and synchronizing with your online accounts. Currently, Astrid supports Remember The Milk and Google Calendar. The latest update also ads location based support with Locale.

Look at what current Astrid users are saying:

Wonderful! Works great with RTM. Easy to use and incredibly useful. A tip of my hat to the developers! – Danny 6-2-2009
Seriously It’s so great. Does just what it says perfectly. – Victoria 5-31-2009
Love it… makes me feel so productive! – Rachel 5-29-2009
Luv this app. The pop up comments are hilarious and helpful. Syncs up with RTM well. tons of useful features. – hulkingcow 5-24-2009
Its just fantastic. reminds you of everything you need to do all the time. – Clement 5-21-2009

For more information on Astrid, check out their new site: weloveastrid.com

By participating in this challenge, we hope you discover an awesome application and help to improve it. We want you to install the application and give us your thoughts on it. At the end of the challenge, we will post a survey and ask about your experience with Astrid. Since your time is valuable, we will be rewarding the grand prize winner with a free T-Mobile myTouch 3G.

Contest details

To participate in the challenge, simply use Astrid then fill out an online survey. Based on the nature of the application, we will allow a full two weeks to get familiar with Astrid before we ask for your thoughts. At the end of the challenge, we will publish an online survey and allow a few days for everyone to complete it.

Contest is open to current T-Mobile USA customers
June 29th, 2009 – Astrid survey contest begins
July 13th, 2009 – Survey is published
July 20th, 2009 – Grand Prize winner announced

Prizes

Grand prize: T-Mobile myTouch 3G ($199 value)
Runners up: 4 prizes ($25 value)

How to install Astrid

There are several ways to install Astrid on your Android device. The easiest method is to search the Market for Astrid, but we included all the options below:

Open Android Market and search for Astrid.
Here is the direct market link: Download to phone
Use and Android application Barcode Scanner to scan the QR code located below.

Scan to download.

Introducing Android App Video Reviews – Episode One – Astrid

Clark Wimberly — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:55:41 +0000

Astrid is a task manager for Android that lets you make a to-do list to track tasks with alerts, time tracking, milestones, and much more. Your task list is sorted by urgency, leaving the most important items at the top. All the settings and options are very clearly labeled and easy to understand. Astrid can even sync with Don’t Forget the Milk, for even more reminder awesomeness.

Side note: I know there are some weird lighting issues and there is a slight pattern in the display, but I’m working on it. This is my first video, let me know what you think and I’ll try to make improvements. Got an idea for a future video or something you want to see reviewed? Leave me a comment and I’ll add it to my review queue.

For those who requested a YouTube version, we put one up.

Note To Self: Review To-Do Apps For Android

Alex Byrnes — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:01:27 +0000

One of the most common “classic” applications on the Android Market is the to-do list manager. Easy to code and almost universally useful, the to-do list manager is tempting for developer and consumer alike. Unfortunately, there are so many more of these applications than there are good ones, and once you install one, you might find yourself looking for another in short order.

These are the applications currently in the market with more than the bare minimum functionality and good reviews: Astrid, RTM Tasks, TooDo, and 3banana. (Absent from this list is an application called ActionComplete, which sells for $4.99. The description says that it has meticulous attention to detail, but five dollars is too much for any to-do list, meticulous or not.)

Astrid

Astrid Home Screen

I’ll cut to the chase since you’ve got things to do. Astrid is the best to-do list manager available in the market. It’s attractive, intuitive, and it does everything you need it to do without getting in your way. You’ll be happy to hit that little squid icon a dozen times a day.

One of the best features – that I’ve never seen before – is how it checks off a task. When you hit the checkbox, it changes the task font to strikethrough and leaves it there until you exit the application. This is handy because you often hit the wrong task and you don’t want to have to re-enter it. This was a frustration with the built-in to-do lists on Windows Mobile and Palm. Four or five pixels up or down and you’ve got to remember what that task was and type it in again. It’s either gone, or it resides in your gigantic pool of completed tasks.

Astrid also does what you should be able to do with every to-do list manager: open it, type, close it, and it will add a new task. This is what a person does with the vast majority of his or her time with a to-do list and it is appropriately streamlined here.

There are also the requisite features like priority, alarms, recurring tasks, and tags, all of which Astrid does well. I also like the tabbed organization. If a task doesn’t have a due date or an alert, you can ignore those tabs and exit. Saving is always automatic.

Despite its utter dominance of the list-oriented market, I was disappointed by two aspects of the more modern versions of Astrid. Since they came out with the tabs, the application has been a bit slow. Personally, I think speed should be a higher priority than almost any fancy feature for these types of applications. Astrid also claims to synchronize with Remember The Milk, but I couldn’t get it to work, and, judging by the wiki, I wasn’t the only one.

RTM Tasks

RTM Tasks is a newer entry in the market and has very basic functionality. It is notable because it does, like the name implies, synchronize successfully with Remember The Milk. If you’re a big RTM fan, this might be the one to start with, at least until some others get their acts together. You can always switch later by synchronizing with the new one.

TooDo

TooDo Home Screen

TooDo is notable as the Titanic of to-do list managers for Android. It has a plethora of features and very little intuitiveness. Features like the dashboard, contexts (aren’t categories enough?), smart folders, distance intervals (a Geo-notification setting), and owner (there’s also author) are poorly defined and the interface gives us few hints. There is a setting called “Insistent” with this cryptic explanation: “Should a to-do notification with importance higher than Normal loop for ever?” Difficult to tell what you’re going to be subjected to with that one.

To impress upon you, the sheer number of features it’s offering, TooDo will add a persistent entry in your window shade with the following buttons: “Change,” “On,” “Main Screen,” “Smart Folders,” “Categories,” “Contexts,” “Notes,” “Demo mode,” “Go Lite,” “Sync,” and “Purge,” and, in the bottom left-hand corner, the lowly “Add to-do.”

The dashboard, as it’s called, also includes the message, “Go to the “Settings” for disabling,” which is probably what most users will immediately do.

Where Astrid is clean and clever looking, TooDo has “Animations.” This means that the items in each tab will disappear one by one when you switch to that tab. This little cascade is annoying and does not in any way further the to-do list users primary goal of getting things done. All-in-all, it seems as if the developer believed that this was a race to the record books for number of features, useful or not.

I was also not able to get Remember the Milk synchronization to work.

3banana

3banaa Home Screen

3banana is not actually a to-do list manager. It is a note taking and sharing application, but I thought it showed a lot of potential. The interface is clean and simple. You can begin typing right away into a dedicated text box at the top, add tags twitter style with the pound sign, and hit save to keep it in your list. You can also use the camera button next to the text box to attach a picture to the entry. The entry and the picture can then be saved and shared on Facebook or Twitter. I wasn’t able to get the synchronization with 3banana.com to work, where all of this social magic is supposed to happen, but if you create an entry on the site, it works fine from there. Once the synchronization starts working, this could become a fun socially-aware way to make lists, in addition to being a usable and fast to-do list manager on its own.